Table Talk: New Greenfield restaurant offers sports, quiet dining

Whether you’re looking for a rollicking place to watch the game or a spot for a quiet, romantic dinner for two, you should be able to find it at The Tower Restaurant & Bar, general manager Joe LaCroix said.

The restaurant at 6869 W. Forest Home Ave., Greenfield, is divided into two sides: a sports bar with 10 big-screen TVs and a dining room with white linen tablecloths and a fireplace. It opened last month under owner Jim Letizia, who also owns Diamond Jim’s Stoneridge Inn, 11811 W. Janesville Road, Hales Corners.

The Tower menu is more ambitious than the one at Diamond Jim’s, LaCroix said.

“We take a lot of classic, well-known dishes... but we prepare them with an extra little style, an extra little classical proficiency,” he said.

For example, the Tower Meatloaf Sandwich is a half pound of meatloaf made with mushrooms, onions, peppers and a little lamb meat put on a piece of Texas toast with cheddar mashed potatoes, Miller beer gravy and haystack onion rings. The restaurant offers five types of chicken sandwiches, including one breaded in ground-up Cheetos.

It also offers steak and burgers, and an Icelandic cod fish fry is available every night. Prices range from $8 to $30 for entrees, LaCroix said.

The site previously has been a revolving door for restaurants such as Mr. Miyagi Steak & Lobster and Las Palmas II, but LaCroix said The Tower has done well in its first month.

“We’re really impressed with the turnout so far, and now it’s our job to keep that,” he said.

Another restaurant puts

Sunday brunch on the menu

Forget Friday night — Sunday morning apparently is the time to go out to eat in Milwaukee.

Thirst & Vine, 4330 N. Oakland Ave., Shorewood, recently joined the growing list of restaurants offering Sunday brunch. The meal runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes such items as stuffed French toast, rosemary-crusted tartlets and a traditional English breakfast. Most items are $9 or $10.

The restaurant, owned by John Nehring and Anne Finch-Nehring, opened in January 2010 and has steadily expanded its menu under chef Nell Benton. The Nehrings have had other businesses at the site, including a bakery and cafe.

Polaris to reopen for Easter brunch

Lent started this month, which means it’s time to start making Easter plans.

One possibility is Polaris Restaurant & Lounge, which will once again reopen for Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 24.

The rotating restaurant on top of the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave., closed at the end of Easter bunch in 2009 and was replaced for daily dining by Bistro 333 on Hyatt’s lobby level. But Polaris continues to open for private events and special occasions.

The price is $39 for adults, $30 for seniors and $19 for kids ages 3 to 12. Reservations are recommended.

Diners will find Polaris, known for its spectacular views of Milwaukee, little changed since it closed, said George Schneider, general manager of Bistro 333.

The buffet will mark a debut of sorts for Schneider, who started at Bistro 333 last week. He previously worked for The Marcus Corp. and was most recently assistant food and beverage director at The Iron Horse Hotel, Milwaukee.

Stacy Vogel Davis is The Business Journal’s retail and small business reporter. She can be reached at svogeldavis@bizjournals.com.